Every year, The Sentinel asks hundreds of students from both campuses about their favorite places to eat, drink and hang out. The Sentinel’s “Best of KSU” issue encompasses students’ favorite aspects of KSU and the surrounding community. In 2017, Cook Out was voted Best Late-Night Food by the Kennesaw campus students.
It’s 2 a.m. and you’re on Chastain Road. Dinner took second place to studying tonight, and shoving your face in a book for three hours made you weary. If you don’t get something in your stomach fast, you might actually pass out. You need something good and you need it cheap — you’re a college student, after all.
Finally, you spot it: a glowing red sign in the distance, obscured by ferns. You turn onto the little side road and drive up. The first thing that catches your eye is the flashing light display from Papi’s next door, but the real prize reads “Cook Out.”
Burgers, barbecue and fries sound delicious, and they even have a drive-thru so you don’t have to face a paid-to-be-perky server for more than 10 seconds. The interior is warm and inviting — that is, if you like the bustling atmosphere of a fast-food restaurant.
Cook Out’s ridiculously cheap prices are matched only by its delicious flavors. You wouldn’t expect to get good quality for three bucks, but the pulled pork barbecue sandwich is juicy and robust. If you’re hankering for a sweet treat, Cook Out’s thick milkshakes satisfy with an impressive variety of flavors.
Bottom line: Cook Out is the only place worth going if you’re peckish, penniless and picky. That’s why Kennesaw campus students ranked it the Best Late-Night Spot to dine: it’s a college student’s dream come true.
“We try and keep an environment that’s conducive to the college campus,” said the staff at Cook Out. “We try to parallel the same culture as they do here so we can make it comfortable for them to come in and enjoy delicious meals at an economical price. We really appreciate the honor.”
